Survivors
by AngelZ Of DarKness
Summary: "The stench of rotting flesh filled his nose, causing it to scrunch up as he stepped past many of the dead bodies lying on the ground. The grip on his crossbow tightened as he made sure there weren't any walkers nearby. Luckily, there weren't any." AU About Daryl and Carol getting separated from the group and how they survive only with each other.


**A/N: Hey readers, back with a longer oneshot with Caryl. Its my first 2014 fanfiction and another start for a great writing year. I hope you all enjoy this fic as much as I did writing it. Also, I know this is kinda late but Happy New Year Caryl fans. Read on and enjoy. Thanks again and please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own The Walking Dead. If I did, there would be 200 times more romance. Lots of kisses. *sighs* But me owning it wouldnt happen anytime soon...**

_Survivors_

The stench of rotting flesh filled his nose, causing it to scrunch up as he stepped past many of the dead bodies lying on the ground. The grip on his crossbow tightened as he made sure there weren't any walkers nearby. Luckily, there weren't any. Daryl sighed and stopped walking. "It seems safer here, at least the safest place we've been in a while." He said softly, looking behind him at a shivering Carol. His eyes softened, it was the damn weather that was doing this to her. Unlike him, her small, fragile body didn't do too well with the cold temperatures. If only… If only they'd didn't get separated from the group due to the large herd of walkers. Then they wouldn't be like this. They wouldn't be freezing their asses off in this harsh winter. He wrapped an arm around Carol's shaking body and pulled her closer to his body. He could feel his heat radiating off onto her, he smiled lightly. "We should rest now, ill move these bodies and you can set up." He suggested as he slowly let go of her.

Carol had a small blush on her cheeks when he wrapped his arm around her, she couldn't help but to slightly lean into his hold. Out of everyone she could have been separated with, she's glad Daryl was the one who was with her. She felt protected being by him. When he let go, she nodded, hugging herself with a blush. "Okay." She said and pulled her knife out, if worse came to worse, she knew she'd be completely safe with him. Walking around the abandoned house, she groaned lightly. The smell was making her gag, months… years, however long it was, she had still not grown used to it. She stepped into a bedroom, her eyes roaming the small room. A dead body was lying on the floor; she froze when seeing it twitch. She backed up slowly, the grip on her knife tightening. She gasped when it lunged.

Daryl had been moving all the dead bodies onto a pile outside. He didn't want them in the house. He wiped the sweat off his forehead and sighed, he then heard a scream. His eyes widened, "Carol." He shot forward, back into the house. His body was tense as he entered the room Carol had gone into. Then he saw her. She had a frightened look on her face; she had some blood on her. She had her knife in her hand; it covered in the thick, red substance. Her eyes then traveled to his and she sighed, "Surprised me, sorry." He held his hand out and helped her up. He then dragged the body out, sighing softly. That had really scared him. If something had happened to her and she died, he'd be all alone. He didn't want that, he wouldn't let that happen. He'd protect her. He then made his way back into the house; he searched around, not really finding anything. Perfect.

Carol walk into the room he was in and sat down on the couch. "This place seems decent. It's in the country, not many walkers around." She sat back and closed her eyes, "Let's just go to sleep, I'm exhausted." She then looked at him and smiled. "There's a nice queen size bed and it's just screaming out our names." She laughed and blushed lightly when seeing a small smile form on Daryl's lips. She stood and walked towards the room, "Let's go Mr. Dixon."

Daryl followed her, "You can sleep. I'll keep watch." He told her, he'd rather be tired than go to sleep and have the chance of getting attacked. He watched her face get frustrated. "You're going to sleep. You haven't slept the last two days." He listened to her argue. He patted her head with a smile, "It's okay. I'll be fine." He said and his eyes widened when she pushed him onto the bed. He sat up when noticing her lock the door and drag the dresser in front of it. "What are you doing?" He asked, slightly confused. "I could have moved that for you."

Carol shook her head and laid down onto the bed next to him. The bed smelled of blood and mold but she was too comfortable to care. "Now you don't need to take watch. Nothing can get in." She hugged the blanket closer to her. "Go to sleep Daryl, at least for me." She said and looked up at him; she could tell he was exhausted. She wouldn't let him stay up another night.

Daryl looked down at her and sighed heavily. He would just close his eyes for a few minutes, long enough to make her think he was sleeping. Closing his eyes, he could feel her staring at him. "Go to sleep too." He ordered, a small yawn accidentally slipping from his lips. He did feel tired; he had to keep awake though. He had a protect her, he had to. He was the only one who could. A few minutes passed and he then felt her cuddle up to him. He turned on his side, his chest facing her. Moments later, he was out like a broken light. His arms slowly snaked around her body and pulled her closer to him unconsciously.

A few hours later, Carol stirred, her eyes slowly opened. She felt warm; she couldn't help but snuggle closer to the heat source. When her eyes finally open, a blush formed on her pale cheeks. She was looking directly at Daryl's chest, watching it slowly move as his breath was calm. She then looked up, his facial expression making her smile slightly. He looked so calm, he usually looked so serious and angry but now, he looked so… Handsome. Truthfully, he was always handsome to her. Sexy even, she couldn't keep her eyes off him. Her thoughts were interrupted when he began to stir. She watched silently as he let go of her and rolled onto his other side, sighing in the process. She blushed, she then sat up. Biting her lower lip, she stood and moved the dresser as quietly as she could. Unlocking the door, she slowly opened it, wincing at the loud creak. Damn door. She then began exploring the house in more depth. She found a woman's room, there were clothes and other items scattered all over the floor. Carol picked up one of the shirts and looked it over. She then looked at the tattered tank top she had on. Laughing lightly, she pulled the tank top off and tossed it aside. She put the new shirt on and smiled.

"Looks good on you." A voice said behind her. When she turned, she blushed darkly. Daryl stood there with a smirk, "Damn door woke me up from my nice dream." He said and sniffed, "Stuffy in here." He mumbled and wiped his nose. Carol smiled and walked over to him. "Check the bathroom. Might be some tissue to blow that nose of yours," She said and watched as he turned around. Daryl wiped his face. "Hopefully they got some medicine. I've been feeling sick lately." He said, noticing the worried expression on Carol's face. "It could be my imagination though." He said, rubbing the back of his neck. He vanished into the bathroom. Scavenging through the cabinets, he barely found anything. He took when he did find and swallowed it down without any water. He then walked back out.

Carol was moving around, glancing out the window. There were only a few walkers, still too many to take on by themselves. "Seems like we might be here for while some get comfortable," She said with a smile and looked back at him. Her stomach growled and she groaned lightly. "You think there's anything edible in here?" She asked and sighed when he shook his head. Winter was so harsh on food. They had a little bit of deer meat so at least they'd be able to eat tonight. She'd have to melt snow for water tonight. Luckily, this house had a fireplace. This place was wonderful. "Daryl… Maybe we could stay here for the rest of this winter. It seems safe here." She tried to persuade him. She watched as he shrugged. "Maybe," He mumbled. Carol nodded, "Just think about it. We might not find a place as good as this."

Daryl nodded slowly. This place did seem okay. It was calm, the walkers were too bad. He knew though, they couldn't say here the whole winter. He stretched and yawned. "I'll start a fire; you can go get some of that snow. Make sure you have your knife on you, and yell if something's wrong." He said, worried slightly. He knew she could protect herself. He didn't want her to think he was being overprotective. He knew he was but he couldn't help it. He cared so much for her. He probably would never tell her, but he loved her. All this time alone made him realize it. He watched her with a smile. He then turned and threw whatever wood products he could find into the fireplace. Using his lighter and the magazine's he found on the table, he started a fire

Carol stepped outside with the pan in one hand and her knife and the other. She looked around; the walkers seemed occupied on some animal. She was glad, easier for her. Bending down, she began piling snow into the pan. The sound of the wild animal, a dog maybe, yelped in pain as zombies ripped it to shreds. It sounded terrible. Once the pan was completely full, she quickly study and rushed back inside. She locked the door and panted softly. Grabbing a glass lid, she walked back to living room and sat down next to him. "They killed a poor, defenseless animal…" She mumbled. "Heartless." She looked at his fire, "Good job." She said and leaned on his shoulder, blushing lightly. "Do you think this will get any better? Do you think life will return back to normal?" She asked, looking up into his eyes.

Daryl looked at her with a small blush of his own when she leaned on him. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer to him. "No." He said softly. "This will never end. Normal is impossible now. We've already lost all of our loved ones, our family." He said numbly. "We're a family." She said with a darker blush. "You still have me." Daryl looked at her for a long time before smiling a little. "I do." He said, already feeling better. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you too." He said truthfully. He kissed the top of her head and let go of her. "Let's eat now; I'm starting to get hungry too." He dug around his bag and pulled out his nicely wrapped deer meat.

Carol stood and went to the kitchen to look for another pan and he accepted it with a small thank you. She sat back down and fidgeted slightly. She felt weird, this was kind of awkward. "So… Anything new going on?" She asked sheepishly. Her eyes met with the cooking deer meat as she stared at it as it sizzled. It looked pretty tasty. She then looked at the small amount water. "You can have it, I'm not that thirsty." She said with a smile. She watched as he poured into the tin can he had saved. Taking a small sip, he handed it to her. "Drink it." He said, glancing at her. She took a moment before nodding. "Thanks." She mumbled and drank the rest of it. It tasted good as it ran down her throat.

Daryl smiled as he watched her drink the water. "You need it more than I do." He said and laid back on the carpeted floor. He looked up at her; she looked very beautiful from his point of view. He looked away when she caught his stare. "I wonder how the rest of the group is doing. You think they're alive?" He asked and Carol shrugged. "Hopefully, we've been through a lot, much worse than this. I'm sure they're doing just as good as us." She said and smiled. "I'm sure they're looking for us right now." Daryl nodded. She was right, he knew she was. "Who do you think led all those walkers in any way?" He asked her but only got a shrug this time.

Carol laid down the couch, "You know… After all this time, I still can't get used to all of this silence. It's a killer." She rolled on her side and frowned slightly. "It could drive a person mad you know? Soon enough, I'll become crazy and try to do crazy things." She then sighed. "Is that food done yet?" She groaned when he shook his head.

Daryl smirked when seeing her boredom. He sat up and crawled over to her. "You want a massage or anything?" he asked. His hands cupped one of her feet and slid her shoe and sock off. "I hope you're not ticklish." He said and began massage her foot. He grinned when seeing her relax. "Has Ed ever given you one of these?" He asked.

Carol shook her head slowly, "Never… He wanted to see pain, not pleasure." She mumbled and sat back into the couch. "Daryl… You were born with some magical hands." She said with a grin. Her toes curled and uncurled as he continued massaging her foot. He then worked on the other foot, giving it the same amount of attention. She opened her mouth to say something else but was interrupted by a loud noise that sounded like glass breaking inside one of the bedrooms. She quickly put her shoes back on as Daryl went to check it out. She heard him curse and then his crossbow release one of its arrows. "Fuck! Get your shit together Carol! Now!" He hollered. Carol gathered their things as fast as she could and waited for him.

Daryl ripped his arrow out of one of the walkers head. It was covered in blood, he shot it again, causing another walker to drop dead. So much for their dream house. He grabbed Carol and ran out of the house. Getting on his bike, it soon roared to life. He waited for Carol to get on before driving away, leaving behind a horde of zombies. He sighed as Carol wrapped her arms around his waist tightly, she was shivering again. He cursed at himself, he didn't even think about looking for coat in the house for her. "It'll be okay…" He said softly as he saw her try to soak up his warmth. He looked ahead and tried to pay attention to the road. He couldn't get her off his mind.

Carol shivered as the falling snow blew past her. Her thin jacket wasn't doing a very good job because she could feel the cold wind going right through her. At least this gave her an excuse to hug Daryl. She knew he was probably worried about her so she tried to stop shaking. She managed to keep her teeth from chattering. She rested her cheek on his back and watched as the scenery passed by. "I know… As long as we're together, nothing can beat us." She said with a grin. "You'd be lost if you didn't have me." She teased him, feeling better when hearing him chuckle. Her eyes closed and she smiled. "I'd be at least." She said softly.

Daryl smiled softly and remained silent with that same smiled as he drove. After half an hour driving, he pulled over at another abandoned place. He looked back at Carol and frowned slightly when seeing her eyes being closed. "Carol?" He said, frowning more when she didn't reply. He then wrapped his arms around her and picked her up. He carried her inside. He laid her down and looked around the house to make sure it was safe here. He then came back quickly and moved down next to her. He moved his ear next to her mouth, feeling relieved when he heard her still breathing. She was just sleeping. He began to move but paused when seeing her parted lips. They looked soft. His eyes flickered to her close ones to make sure she was still asleep. He then cupped her face before lightly brushing his lips against hers. They were soft, much more than he had ever imagined. He pushed more into the kiss; it seems he wanted this kiss more than he thought. His eyes slowly closed and he hugged her body closer to his. He didn't even notice her eyes flutter open.

Carol's eyes slowly opened after feeling something warm on her lips. Her eyes widened when she realized what the heat source was. Her fingers clutched his shirt, tangling themselves in the shirt he wore that hung loosely to his body. Her eyes closed and she melted into the kiss. His lips were just as she thought they'd be. Her cheeks burned, as did the rest of her body when he pulled her body closer to his. She tried to move her legs they were entangled deeply into his. When he finally pulled from the kiss, she stared into his eyes. He looked shocked, finally realizing that he woke her up with his kiss. His mouth moved to make words but no sound came out. She smirked, "your good kisser." She said, watching as his face got red fast. "You know, I'm not feeling that cold anymore thanks to you."

Daryl couldn't believe that she had woke up. She had even caught him kissing her, he was surprised that she even kissed him back! He slowly rolled off of her, his eyes never leaving hers. "That's good. I was worried you were going to get sicker some." He said, women looking away from her. Here at the back of his neck, he wondered if she was feeling as awkward and as embarrassed as he was. He glanced at her, she was grinning from ear to ear. Chuckling, he laid down. He glanced at her again before looking at the ceiling. "So…" He said, not having a clue what to talk about. He felt his stomach growled, he sat back up quickly. "Did you grab that deer meat?" He groaned when she shook her head. He grabbed his crossbow and stood, "I'll go get some squirrels or something. Will you be all right?" He didn't want to leave her but he also didn't want to have her wait out the cold for him. He cared more about her health.

Carol watched as he got ready and nodded. "I'll be fine." She reassured with a smile. "I can take care of myself Daryl. Just be safe yourself. I'm more worried about you. You're going to be in more danger than I will be." She looked up at him, "Be safe. Please." She said with a smile, watching as he forced himself to leave. Once he was finally out of the house, she let out a loud giggle. It was unlike her, but she couldn't help it! That kiss… She never felt one like it. She hoped he would do it again, she really did. She wanted to feel his rough lips dominate hers. Maybe next time, she would be in control of the kiss. That would be nice. Maybe more would happen, you never know. The thought made her blushed terribly, "Daryl isn't that kind of guy." She reminded herself. "Or is he?" She thought out loud. It made her smile more before she shrugged it off. She had more important things to think about rather than how he looked without all of those unnecessary clothes of his on. She covered her face an embarrassment. How did a simple kiss make her start thinking all of this?

The arrow shot forward and smashed through the squirrels head and stuck to the tree. Daryl smirked and walked over to the dead animal. He ripped the arrow out and put the small critter next to his other four. Was five enough? Should he shoot more? How many more? He continued to question himself, he didn't have a clue, maybe one more, and then they'd have three each. That should be enough. He reloaded his crossbow and began walking forward. This forest was too quiet for his liking. Daryl scanned the area, his eyes wandering from tree to tree. There wasn't a single zombie, where were they all at? He wasn't complaining that was for sure. He just thought it was weird. There was always at least one walking around. He shrugged it off and continue hunting. He then froze suddenly and looked back to where Carol was.

Carol frowned and dug her knife into another flesh eaters head. She grunted when yanking out. More crawled into the broken window, groaning and yelling. She was afraid; she thought she was going to die. Where was Daryl? Was he going to save her? She stabbed the next one through the eye, flinching as blood spilled onto her. Another lunged for her but she was able to move right at the last second. She fell, tripping over one of the walkers she had already killed. "Daryl!" She yelled and flinched when another walker went to jump onto her. An arrow went through its head, it dropped onto her legs, not moving anymore. She looked up at Daryl when he ripped the arrow out of its head.

He was glad he had been able to make it to her before she got bit or eaten. He had finally figured it out, why there weren't any walkers out near him. He knew they must've been occupied on something else, Daryl immediately assumed that they were attacking Carol. He was right. He killed another one with a deep frown, "Hurry up and get up." He ordered her as another crawled in. These damn things just kept coming! "It wasn't as bad last winter, I don't understand how they haven't froze from this cold ass weather!" He huffed as he grabbed the arrow, kicking the walker's chest, causing the arrow to rip out of its eye socket. This continued for a few more minutes before it was completely silent. They both panted softly and he looked at her. "Are you all right?" He asked her.

Carol nodded in looked down at her knife, "Yeah… Thanks." She said softly before smiling. "You save me. I'd be dead if you hadn't come…" She then ran a hand through her hair, tears slowly beginning to fill her eyes and her smile beginning to vanish. "I thought I was going to die…" She said softly. She quickly wiped her face, "Should I start packing up our stuff again?" She asked with a weak smile. Carol watched as Daryl moved closer to her, wrapping his arms around her, hugging her tightly. She hugged him right back, she needed this hug badly. Her body shook lightly and a sigh escaped past her lips. Carol couldn't believe how bad that had scared her. She hadn't been that scared since she had been with Ed. That was a long time ago.

Daryl didn't say anything but just hugged her tightly. He was so worried; he had thought she was dead when he had saw that the house had been surrounded by walkers. He thought he was going to be alone again. It made him so angry; he had no problem killing all of those walkers. Relief had filled him when he had finally seen she was still alive, still made him very angry that he wasn't there to protect her the entire time. He knew he shouldn't have gone out hunting, leaving her behind alone at the house. His eyes softened when she finally smiled at him. He knew she was scared, her trembling body proved it completely. He needed to get her to calm down. He looked into her eyes when she looked up at him. His hands slowly cupped her face, a small blush forming on his cheeks. "Carol… I'm going to kiss you again okay?" He told her and received a small nod from Carol. Giving a small smile, he leaned closer and lightly kissed her. Such soft lips she had. Daryl deepened the kiss; he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer to his body. He broke from the kiss short after and moved his lips to her ear. "As long as we're together, we are unstoppable." He whispered before kissing her again.

**A/N: Did I do okay? Tell me what you thought in a review. I apologize if you didn't like it but thank you for reading it anyway. Thank you everyone and hopefully your 2014 goes as good or even better as your 2013. Hope you enjoyed and I look forward to writing for you again in the future.**


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